Bush Tells Iraq to 'Fully Disarm'
Or Face a U.S.-Led Coalition

As Iraq debated its response to a United Nations resolution on tough new weapons inspections Monday, President Bush warned that the U.S. won't hesitate to act if Iraq refuses to cooperate.

"Iraq pledged to disarm more than a decade ago. It has been a decade of systematic deception, unmet obligations, unpunished violations," Mr. Bush said in a speech to mark Veterans Day.

"Saddam Hussein will fully disarm and prove that he has done so, or America will lead a coalition to disarm him," the president said.

Senior administration officials said Mr. Bush has approved tentative Pentagon plans for invading Iraq should the new arms-inspection effort fail. The strategy calls for a land, sea and air force of 200,000 to 250,000 troops, officials said.

In Baghdad, Iraq's parliament condemned the U.N. resolution -- which calls for Iraq to accept or reject the U.N.'s terms by Friday -- as full of lies. Mr. Hussein has used the rubber-stamp parliament as a cover for difficult decisions in the past, and the tough language doesn't necessarily mean parliament will reject the proposal. Should legislators recommend acceptance, as expected, it would allow him to claim that the decision was the will of the Iraqi people. He could then more easily retreat from previous objections to any new resolution governing weapons inspections.

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The U.N. resolution gives inspectors unrestricted access to any suspected weapons site and the right to interview Iraqi scientists outside the country and without Iraqi officials present -- both issues that could become points of dispute. It also warns of "serious consequences" if Iraq doesn't comply, a prospect that could prompt an attack by the U.S. and Britain.

Meanwhile, U.N. and private aid groups are quietly preparing for a possible war, which could present sweeping humanitarian problems.

Aid officials say they are hoping that conflict is avoided, but that they have little choice but to order supplies to feed and house refugees. They also plan to stockpile medicines, vaccines and spare parts for crucial public works and infrastructure, such as hospitals and sanitation systems, that could be destroyed or disrupted.

However, U.N. officials say they won't work in any areas contaminated by chemical or biological agents, a reference to the possibility that the Iraqi regime might unleash weapons of mass destruction if attacked.

Aid officials say even a limited chemical counterattack could greatly exacerbate the biggest problem relief organizations expect: fleeing refugees. U.N. agency forecasts range from 250,000 to 1.2 million Iraqi refugees, some of them fleeing to borders of countries that aren't prepared or willing to accept them.

Jordan, for example, has said it won't allow refugees to cross its border to Iraq's west. Turkey, which has long had a history of tension with the Kurds who live to its immediate south, hasn't stated clearly whether any refugees would be allowed to cross the border. Iran, where officials expect many of the refugees to flee, has said it would allow refugees into the country, though it would stop them at its border areas.